Maeve Martinelli ‘27
This fall, the EA Theater Department brought the school back in time to Ancient Greece. Their version of Greece was filled with all sorts of characters, ranging from love-struck couples to creepy monsters, portrayed masterfully by the cast of Metamorphoses. Originally, many students were skeptical about performing this play. They thought that it was an odd choice, seeing as it is so ancient. Additionally, the show is considered a “college-level” production, containing messages and acting challenges meant for much older performers. However, t And, this less-than-30-person cast pulled the show off wonderfully, adding an interesting dynamic of understanding and emotional depth to the performance.
“In the beginning, we were all unsure of the choice,” said Danity Pike ’ ’27. “But in the end, [the play] turned out to be fun, interesting, and a major success!” The turnout for Metamorphoses was exceptional, having sold out at every performance.
“So many people came to watch – all the deans, all the history teachers, math teachers, everyone. It was cool to see these people we know so well react to the play – they loved it, and were pretty shocked we pulled it off,” said Clementine Clifton ’ ’26.
The play was lined with many details, possibly contributing to what made the show such a success.The play was lined with many details, possibly contributing to what made the show such a success.. The directing of Daniel Clay, Head of Theatre and Dance, provided specific choices and movements while also allowing the actors to freely explore their roles. The vigor and determination of the cast and crew to put on a good show was inspiring, even when they were faced with challenges along the way in an already difficult show. The cast of Metamorphoses even went beyond the requirements of an average play by including vocals. The play featured the song “1,000 Oceans” by Tori Amos, performed onstage by Cate Curatolo ’’24. Curatolo’s rich sound and emotional maturity brought the song to life onstage. Additionally, Jack Cellucci ’’24’s exquisite soprano range was showcased in the scene “Phaeton and Apollo,” where Cellucci performed a song almost entirely in Italian.
It was evident throughout how much the actors onstage cared deeply about the show. Whether it was by singing a heart-wrenching solo, performing a monologue, creating some witty banter, or even just crawling on the ground, the cast performed beautifully and gave it their all.
However, talent onstage was not the only thing that brought this show together. Metamorphoses would not have been possible without the talent, hard-work, and adaptability of EA’s stage crew. Besides transforming the audience with set, sound, and lights, the tech crew worked through countless challenges in order to save the show. For example, when the curtain of the Black Box’s corner door came down on Saturday night to reveal the actors and props behind it, crew members stepped up. The crew grabbed some stools and some hands, and held up the curtain for the rest of the show.
Performing an ancient Greek play is no easy feat, but the cast and crew tackled this challenge with enthusiasm. Their hard-work was evident through not only the end performance, but through the constant practicing of lines, vocal warmups, repetition of scenes, and many late nights dedicated to perfecting their craft.
The stars of this show, both on and off stage, brought the show together to create, with an intense determination and grit, a show that will go down in the history of EA Theater and be talked about for years to come. Clementine Clifton ‘26 spoke on why she feels this show was so special. “We were all worried at the beginning about if we could pull it off. However, we put on an awesome performance at the end, and bonded with everyone. We really became a family throughout this process, and that’s why the show turned out so good.”